呼吸器外科における内視鏡下手術の展望

The Expectation for Thoracoscopic Surgery in the 21st Century

　次世代，呼吸器領域における内視鏡外科は飛躍的発展を遂げることが期待される．今日までに多くの呼吸器疾患に胸腔鏡下手術が応用されてきたが，その領域はさらに拡大し，minimully invasive surgeryの施行を容易にするため，より便利で機能的な内視鏡器具が種々開発されるであろう．具体的に肺癌を例に取ると，bulkyなリンパ節腫大例以外のものは胸腔鏡下手術で十分に対処されるであろうし，これまでは高度の吻合技術を要求されてきた気管・気管支形成手術なども胸腔鏡下に安全に施行可能となるであろう．

It is expected that thoracoscopic surgery for various respiratory diseases will progress rapidly in the 21st Century. More convenient and reliable endoscopic instruments would probably develop in order to faciliate the procedures and to increase the safety of thoracoscopic surgery. For instance, in lung carcinoma more functional endoscopic stapler will appear in the near future. As a result, considerable numbers of lung carcinoma except those with bulky metastatic lymphnode will be completed through thoracoscopic proce-dures. For tracheoplasty and bronchoplasty, the thoracoscopic operation will also be useful in the next century.